Hijiory of tipula Tn'tici. 1 03 



extremely minute (^'), evidently not thofe of that infeft. It is pof- 

 fible that there were in this floret eggs of the latter, which might be 

 deftroyed upon opening it, or efcape my obfervation. At other times I 

 have found eggs of Tipula Tritlci, and once fome larvae, in florets upon 

 which I had obferved this Ichneumon bufy. If we reafon from analogy, 

 and the general habits of the genus Ichnewmn, the eggs of this infe6t 

 ought to be depofited in fome other infc6l m one of its dates; but, 

 in the inftance above mentioned, it fcems only to have been attentive 

 to fcatter them in fuch a fituation as might lead them when hatched 

 to their proper food. From the time in which it firft makes its 

 appearance, ten days before the hatching of the firft larvse, I am 

 inclined to adopt my original conje£lurc, that the eggs are its prey ; 

 and yet there feems not to be a fufficient difproportion between the 

 fize of the one and the other for this purpofe; at leaft it muft take 

 more than one to nourilli a larva of the Ichneumon to its proper fize. 

 Where we are not in pofTeflion of fufficient inftances to eftablifh any 

 fa6l beyond doubt, it would be great prefumption to be too pofitive; 

 1 ihall not therefore pretend to decide in which of its ftates our fly 

 furnifhes food to the offspring of this Ichneumon. I think we may 

 with more confidence affirm, that it is attached to Tipula Triitci in 

 one of them. The circumftance of its depofiting its eggs within the 

 florets of the wheat, in the very fituation chofen by that infect for 

 the fame purpofe, and ufually where cither its eggs or larvae were 

 concealed, fufficiently eftablillies this point; unlefs we may fuppofc 

 it to prey upon Thrips Phyfapus. This latter infcdl, however, to the 

 beft of my recolleftion, I did not find in any of thofe florets which 

 I examined after feeing this Ichneumon infert its aculeus into them.. 

 It is probable that its appearance is later, as there is no mention of it 

 in. my nTemoranda of this year. 



(v) Tab. Iv. fig. 5. b. 



On 



